Case Study: Building Trust Among American Indian/Alaska Native Communities—Respect and Focus on Strengths

Abstract

Maria, a community health registered nurse, was living in rural Northwestern USA. She was seeking a position in an Indian Health Services (IHS) clinic. Maria knew that Native Americans suffered some of the worst health disparities in the USA, as did most indigenous peoples around the world (Katz et al. 2016), and she wanted to help. Maria had met several Native American nurses when she was in school but had never talked to them about their communities. She would later see this as a great missed opportunity.

Bureau of Indian Affairs (2015) Indian entities recognized and eligible to receive services from the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs. Federal basis for health services. Federal Register: Bureau of Indian Affairs. https://www.ihs.gov/aboutihs/eligibility/. Accesses 11 April 2017